Posted on 08/14/2007 11:37:37 PM PDT by Red Steel
Roger Clemens stood up for Alex Rodriguez last week when he drilled Alex Rios in retaliation for the Blue Jays treating A-Rod like he had a target painted on his back.
The Yankees paid the price for Clemens' bravado Tuesday night, as Jeff Karstens - starting in place of the suspended Rocket - was beaten and battered by the Orioles in a 12-0 rout.
Karstens surrendered five runs in three innings, while the Yankees' bullpen was knocked around for another seven by the Orioles, who had 13 hits.
Then again, Karstens could have pitched a gem last night and it might not have made a difference, as Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera limited the Yankees to two hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings.
The loss snapped the Yankees' four-game winning streak, dropping them to 67-52. The Bombers dropped to five games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and fell a half-game back in the wild-card race.
The Yankees send Phil Hughes to the mound in this afternoon's rubber game, while the Orioles counter with their ace, Erik Bedard.
After honoring the late Phil Rizzuto with a pregame moment of silence and then a video tribute following the top of the first, the Yankees failed to complete the night with a win for Scooter.
Karstens actually looked good in the first, but he opened the second with walks to Kevin Millar and Aubrey Huff, setting up Jay Payton's RBI single that put the O's ahead 1-0.
The Orioles continued to attack Karstens in the third, as Nick Markakis hit a one-out double, Miguel Tejada walked and Millar singled, loading the bases. Huff made Karstens pay, belting an 0-1 pitch into the upper deck in right field for his third career grand slam and a five-run Baltimore lead.
That would be the final inning for Karstens, who may very well find himself back at Triple-A Scranton today. Karstens threw 74 pitches, leaving him unavailable for at least a few days, and with Clemens due back to start on Saturday, the Yankees could send Karstens down and bring up some relief help from Scranton.
Edwar Ramirez has continued to light it up at Triple-A, posting a 0.90 ERA in 40 innings and striking out 69 batters. Ramirez is holding opponents to a .149 average, and with the success of Joba Chamberlain thus far in the majors, the Yankees could give Ramirez another chance at the big-league level.
Jim Brower relieved Karstens, but he didn't fare much better. Brower, who was charged with a total of four runs over his two-plus innings of work, failed to record an out in the sixth before being pulled for Ron Villone.
Brower, who was called up during last week's road trip, could also find himself back in the minors before too long, as Chris Britton (2.58 ERA, 54 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings) is also pitching well at Scranton.
Villone allowed a pair of RBI singles before getting two outs, but he issued a bases-loaded walk before ending the inning, pushing Baltimore's lead to 11-0.
Cabrera didn't allow a hit until the fourth, as Hideki Matsui broke up the no-hitter with a one-out single. The Yankees, trailing 6-0 at the time, put one more runner on base when Jason Giambi walked with two outs, but Cabrera retired Robinson Cano on a groundout to third to end the inning.
The Yankees' second hit didn't come until the sixth, when A-Rod singled to lead off. Cabrera walked Matsui, the sixth free pass he issued, but with an 11-run lead, the righthander went right at the Bombers, retiring the next three hitters to preserve the shutout.
Great come from behind win for Sox. Gagne struck out
side (tho gave up double)...Lowell HR, Coco single
to knock in ‘Tek.
The Curse...continues. (insert pic of Hillary trying on
Yankee hat here)
The curse began in 2001 when the Arizona Diamondbacks shattered Rivera’s aura of invincibility.
It started when NY elected Hillary...
And Villone nailed Markekis (sic?) in the back late in the game for no good reason. It wasn’t the curveball that slipped out of the lefty pitcher’s had, it was a fastball.
The O’s announcer was BS and called him out on it and saying that he would expect retaliation down the line since the Yankee stars were already on the bench when it happened.
Baltimore is a team with some real heart. I wish the Sox would show some especially Ramirez and “hits like” Pukelous taking strike three in the bottom of the 9th last night.
Go Sox!
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